Perseus Academic: The Horrid Pit by Alan Axelrod

The story of one of the most violent yet least-known episodes of the Civil War — the daring excavation of the longest military tunnel in history.

Alan Axelrod is the author of three books on the Civil War: The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Civil War, My Brother's Face: Portraits of the Civil War (with Charles Phillips; Chronicle Books, 1993; reissued in 1998 by Barnes & Noble Books as Portraits of the Civil War), and The War between the Spies: A History of Espionage During the American Civil War. In addition, he has written many volumes of military history and reference, popular history, biography, and general reference. He has served as consultant to numerous museums and cultural institutions and has worked as a creative consultant (and on-camera personality) for The Wild West television documentary series (Warner Bros., 1993), Civil War Journal (A&E Network, 1994), and The Discovery Channel.